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Swedish researchers find genes that "ignite" human conception

Xinhua, September 4, 2015 Adjust font size:

Researchers have identified a set of genes that help jump start the process of human conception, according to a study published Thursday.

Seven of the 129 genes found to be active three days after fertilization had not been previously discovered, said researchers at Stockholm's Karolinska Institutet who believe the finding could help treat conditions such as infertility.

"These genes are the 'ignition key' that is needed to turn on human embryonic development. It is like dropping a stone into water and then watching the waves spread across the surface," Juha Kere, one of the authors, said in a statement.

The researchers said the newly discovered genes can interact with repeated DNA sequences, commonly called "junk DNA."

Only 32 of the 23,000 genes humans eventually develop are active two days after fertilization, the researchers found.

"We identified novel factors that might be used in reprogramming cells into so-called pluripotent stem cells for possible treatment of a range of diseases, and potentially also in the treatment of infertility," said Outi Hovatta, a senior author of the study, published in the journal Nature Communications. Endit